If Anybody Had a Heart
by CajunWitch
Summary: Draco and Hermione try to have a whirlwind romance despite their interfering friends. My take on the 1986 movie About Last Night if Draco and Hermione had been the main characters. One-shot.


**If Anybody Had a Heart**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter-just my twisted imagination at work.**

 **Summary: Draco and Hermione start a whirlwind romance that has unexpected circumstances. My take on the 1986 movie** _ **About Last Night**_ **if Draco and Hermione had been the main characters.**

 **Spring 2016**

"Okay. All I'm saying is that I could never date a guy that has a cuter butt than me," stated Anna as she looked over the men playing Quidditch, most notably Draco Malfoy.

Hermione chuckled. "I couldn't stand the git when we were at Hogwarts, but I have to admit he is easy on the eyes," she replied and took a sip of her butter beer.

Hermione Granger and Anna Spence had been working together for the past five years as administrators in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. Anna had also attended Hogwarts and was one year older than Hermione and her friends. She was tall and curvy, with shoulder-length straight reddish blonde hair and green eyes. She was a striking young woman, but many men were intimidated by her sarcasm and wit. Hermione liked this about her. She also appreciated that Anna was very straightforward and said what was on her mind.

They were attending an intramural Quidditch tournament of various teams from the different departments of the Ministry of Magic. They were there to cheer on the Aurors team which consisted of Hermione's two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, as well as Draco Malfoy. The young women were seated on a blanket on the sidelines and watched as the Aurors advanced to the finals of the tournament.

They were joined by Ginny Weasley Potter, Ron's sister, who had been married to Harry for the last three years. Ginny plopped down on the blanket between Anna and Hermione. She was six months pregnant and had just gone to the ladies' room.

"What are you two giggling about? What did I miss?" she asked as she looked from Anna to Hermione.

They filled her in on their assessment of the men's butts and Ginny agreed that Draco Malfoy did have a nice one, but not as nice as Harry's.

After the tournament was over, everyone headed to The Leaky Cauldron to celebrate the Aurors victory. As the young women grabbed a table in the crowded pub, Hermione noticed Draco and his friends at the bar. He was still wearing his Quidditch uniform and looked quite appealing. She shook herself out of this reverie as they were joined by Harry and Ron. 

"Great game guys! You blew all of the other teams away," Hermione exclaimed.

Ginny gave Harry a big kiss and smiled. "I'm not surprised at all. I wish I could have been out there playing, but…" she grinned and looked at her protruding belly. Harry smiled and kissed his wife back.

They shared a round of drinks while Ginny stuck to water and congratulated the team. Ginny and Harry stayed for about another hour, but then they made their way home. Ron moved to another table to compare notes about the tournament with his fellow Aurors.

Anna and Hermione stayed for a few minutes longer but then decided to call it a night. It was Sunday and they had to work the next day. As they were leaving the pub, they passed by Draco and his friends. Hermione was shocked when she heard Draco address her.

"Hey Granger, leaving so soon?" he asked and smirked.

"No, she's walking in backwards," Anna stated with a straight face.

Hermione tried not to laugh as she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "Some of us have to work tomorrow Malfoy," she stated and turned to walk away when Draco touched her arm.

"I didn't mean anything. I just wanted to know if I could buy a drink for you and your friend," Draco said.

Anna raised her eyebrows and smiled. "No thanks, I've had enough for tonight." She had gone out the night before at a muggle nightclub and had stayed out way past closing time. She needed to catch up on her sleep.

"Yeah, I'll have to pass too. It's been a long day," Hermione replied but noticed that Anna gave her a look and mouthed "Go for it," without Draco seeing. She almost sighed in exasperation. Anna was always after her to go out more and telling her she needed to get laid. This was a perfect opportunity for her friend.

"One little drink won't hurt, Granger. Look, I know we haven't exactly been friends, but I'd like to change that," Draco said with what looked like a genuine smile.

Maybe it was fate or the alcohol she had imbibed that evening, but Hermione decided to throw caution to the winds and take Draco up on his offer. As she accepted the drink and took a seat next to Draco at the bar, Anna whispered in her ear.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do and I want to know everything tomorrow!"

Hermione suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and waved goodbye to her smug friend.

Flash forward to the following morning and Hermione found herself in unfamiliar surroundings. As she began to focus, she realized that this was not her bed, she was completely naked, and definitely not alone. She looked around the bedroom and saw her clothes scattered everywhere and Draco's Quidditch uniform on the floor. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was 6 a.m. She breathed a sigh of relief because that meant that she had time to go home to shower and get to work by 8 a.m.

As Hermione tried to quietly exit the bed, Draco's arm reached over and grabbed her around the waist. She felt herself being pulled against his warm, toned chest and also felt his arousal against her backside. With his free hand, Draco pushed aside her hair and kissed her on the back of the neck.

"Where do you think you're going, love?" he purred as he rolled on top of her, supporting his weight with his forearms and looking at her.

Hermione gazed back at him, taken aback at how amazing this all felt. It had been almost a year since she had been intimate with anyone. Her last relationship was with a muggle bloke that was from the neighborhood she had grown up in. He was okay, but it was nowhere near to what she was now experiencing with Draco Malfoy.

She looked back at him and bit her lip. "Look, this has been, um, interesting, but I really need to get back to my place. I have to be at work soon," she said but then was quieted when Draco took possession of her lips, kissing her passionately. After about a minute, he came up for air and gave her a superior look.

"Interesting, huh? I'll give you interesting," he said and proceeded to plunge into her. Hermione gasped as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. He might've been the biggest git ever, but damn could he satisfy a woman.

She moved with him and could feel her orgasm building as Draco hit her most sensitive spots with every stroke. Hermione felt it all the way down to her toes when she finally came and she actually screamed out his name. It wasn't long before Draco came with a loud groan. After a few minutes, he pulled out of her and plopped on his side. He reached out with his hand and traced the nipple of Hermione's breast.

"Now that, love, was interesting," he drawled and gave her a half-smile.

"I agree," Hermione replied as she came down from that incredible climax. When she recovered, she sat up and pulled the top sheet over her. As she got up from the bed, Draco watched her.

"Do you really have to go to work? We could stay in and do this all day," Draco purred.

"I'm never late and I rarely miss work, so yeah, I need to get going. Look, I don't normally do things like this. It's been great, but I get it that this was just a one-time thing," Hermione replied as she pulled on her panties and jeans. She found her sweater and quickly pulled it over her head as Draco watched.

"If you say so. I think I'll sleep for a few more hours."

"Don't you have to go to work?" Hermione asked.

"Nah, I'm working the night shift this week. Maybe I'll see you around," Draco replied.

Hermione just nodded and smiled. She couldn't wait to get out of Draco's home. She found her bag and gave him a small wave but noticed that he had fallen asleep. She thought that it was a little rude that he didn't walk her to the door, but this was Draco Malfoy. She still couldn't believe she had actually slept with him.

Once she left his home, she found an apparation spot and made it back to the flat she shared with Anna. As she walked in, she was greeted by Anna, who was sitting in their small kitchen and drinking tea.

"Oi, look what the cat dragged in! Hermione, I am just so proud of you. Please tell me you got laid. You totally have that "just got thoroughly shagged" look about you," Anna stated and grinned.

Hermione had to chuckle at her friend's crudeness. "You can't even begin to imagine the night and morning I just had."

She managed to get ready and make it to work with just a few minutes to spare. She and Anna giggled and talked about what happened all through the day. They both agreed that it was a one-off and that Hermione would probably never hear from him again.

Imagine their surprise a few days later when Hermione received a lovely bouquet of flowers, along with a note from Draco. He asked her to meet him for drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. Intrigued, Hermione decided to meet him and see what would happen.

After the first night with Hermione, Draco was not sure what to think of what had transpired. It still astounded him that he had actually nailed Granger. It was also some of the hottest sex he had ever experienced. Who knew that little know-it-all swot had it in her? When he had arrived at work that evening, his good friend Blaise Zabini wanted all the details.

"So, how did it go last night?" Blaise asked and raised his eyebrows.

"You mean last night and this morning," Draco replied and smirked.

"No fucking way! How many times did you shag Granger?" Blaise asked with an incredulous look.

"A gentleman never tells," Draco said and chuckled, leaving his friend with that remark.

"Leave it to you to have a one-off with Granger," Blaise said and shook his head.

"Who says it's a one-off?" Draco asked.

"Come on, mate. You aren't really going to contact her after she spent the night with you. You pretty much closed the deal, so to speak," Blaise replied with a laugh.

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much did." Yet, he could not stop thinking about her. He just had to have another go at her.

After meeting for drinks the second time, Hermione and Draco ended up at his place and did the same thing. This time, Hermione made it to work with only seconds to spare. Anna was a bit perturbed by this and let Hermione know.

"I thought that this was just supposed to be a one-off with Draco Malfoy," she said when Hermione rushed in the following morning.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure, it just happened. I think it was even better than the last time!"

"Just tread lightly, Hermione. The guy does have a reputation for using women. I don't want to see you hurt," Anna said, genuinely concerned for the welfare of her friend.

"I'm a big girl, Anna, I'm just having fun," Hermione said lightly and went on to get ready for work.

Within the next few weeks, she and Draco continued to see each other. This progressed to going out on actual dates. Their friends were truly shocked at this relationship. Maybe Hermione was going to be the witch to actually tame Draco Malfoy and his playboy reputation.

After about two months, Draco asked Hermione to move in with him. When Hermione told Anna, her friend was not too thrilled with this. She felt that Hermione and Draco were going too fast and were headed for disaster. She held back her reservations from Hermione and hoped that she was wrong. She did let Hermione know that she was welcome to move back in anytime.

 **Summer 2016**

There were times Hermione wanted to pinch herself; she just couldn't believe how happy she was being with Draco. Everything was going so well and she was enjoying their time together. It was the middle of August and Draco had been gone for the past three weeks. He was on an assignment in Paraguay. A notorious Deatheater had been spotted there, so Draco and his partner were sent to do surveillance and capture him.

Hermione had received an owl from Draco earlier that day letting her know that their assignment was successful. He had to complete paperwork at the Ministry before returning home, so she expected him back that evening. She prepared his favorite meal, a pot roast with potatoes and carrots. Hermione also made a batch of fudge brownies which Draco loved.

What happened that evening definitely was one of the most defining moments of Hermione's life. After putting the finishing touches on their dinner, Hermione went into the bathroom to take a shower and make herself presentable for Draco. As she stepped into the luxurious and spacious shower, she almost wanted to pinch herself. It was like having an actual spa at one's fingertips. She reveled in the way the jets of water massaged and cooled her skin. When she was done, she dried off and stepped into pair of undies. She then went into the bedroom she shared with Draco to find something to wear. As she looked through the clothes, she never heard Draco enter the bedroom.

Draco smiled and looked Hermione over as he took in that she was only clad in panties. He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his broad chest. He buried his face in her hair. Draco was so glad to see her. He thought about her often when he was away on the mission. It was quite a shock to his system to realize how much he missed Hermione and couldn't wait to get back to her.

Hermione gave a start when she felt his arms around her but recovered quickly. She turned and gasped as Draco kissed her with an urgency, as if he could not get enough of her. When they came up for air, Hermione stared up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Wow, someone missed me," she said lightly as she played with his hair.

"You have no idea, love," Draco replied as he nuzzled her neck.

Hermione giggled and tried to squirm away. "I need to get dressed and we can have dinner."

Draco shook his head. "Dinner can wait. I want you now," he growled as he kissed her collarbone and moved to her breasts.

Hermione sighed with delight as Draco lavished her with attention. She had missed him too and the feel of his touch. She ran her hands through his hair as he kissed her breasts. It didn't take long for them to reach the bed. Hermione moved to the middle of the huge, king-sized bed and bit her bottom lip as she watched Draco strip off his Auror uniform.

Never taking his eyes off of her, Draco crawled towards her and she opened her legs, allowing him to settle between them. Their lips soon clashed, feverishly and with longing because it had been a few weeks since they had been together. Their hands were everywhere; Hermione ran hers over Draco's lean, compact frame and Draco caressed every curve.

"I couldn't wait for this," Draco said softly as he ground his erection into her covered nether region. Her panties were in the way and he needed to get rid of them.

He growled as he pulled down her panties, tossed them aside, and entered her to the hilt with one fluid thrust.

Hermione gasped as he did this and was a bit shocked at how swiftly he penetrated her but got over it quickly and began to move with him. Draco hooked his arms around her legs, pulling her even closer to him.

It wasn't long before Hermione could feel her orgasm building. As the muscles in her stomach tingled and spread to the tips of her toes, she screamed out Draco's name. Draco buried his face in her neck and rode out the wave as her vaginal walls contracted. He could not hold back any longer and soon achieved his release and came in hard, long spurts.

Draco stayed inside of her a few minutes as they recovered from this swift bout of sex. He pulled out of her and moved beside her. He settled on one side of the bed and lay flat on his back as he reached over and played with one of Hermione's stray curls.

"That was incredible, love," Draco said.

Hermione nodded. "I know. I never realized it could be like this."

Draco smirked and waggled his eyebrows. "It's always like this. I know how to satisfy my women."

Eyebrows raised, Hermione looked over at him. "Your women? Exactly how many women do you have, Mr. Malfoy" she asked in a playful manner.

"Just you, love. You're all I need," Draco replied as he pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly. Hermione kissed him back and it wasn't long before Draco was ready to go again. This time, the couple took their time and made love slowly.

After this heated lovemaking session, they were hungry and headed to the kitchen. Hermione giggled because they were completely starkers. She had never been so uninhibited with anyone but Draco just seemed to bring it out. He was totally fine with walking around nude. They fed each other slices of roast and picked at the vegetables. As they moved on to the dessert, Hermione went to the refrigerator to get milk to go with the brownies. All of a sudden, Draco told her to stay still. She gave him a quizzical look as he grinned at her.

"Something the matter," she asked.

"Nothing at all, love. It's just that you look so amazing in that light," he replied.

"Draco, stop," Hermione said and blushed.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth. You're so beautiful," Draco whispered.

Hermione closed the refrigerator and brought the milk to the table. As she put it down, she looked at Draco and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Draco, I love you," she said and waited. She had been feeling this way and wanted to tell him but could never find the right moment until now.

Draco was not waiting for this and was completely taken aback but recovered. "I love you too," he said and pulled her to him. His heart began to beat a little faster because he had never felt this way before. This was definitely a huge step.

After that tender moment, there was a shift in the relationship. There were so many unspoken facets – such as where were they going to take this. Should they become engaged? Were they truly going to spend the rest of their lives together?

 **Fall 2016**

Towards the end of November. Hermione and Anna were getting ready to leave from work when they were approached by one of their coworkers, Jade. Jade worked in the office next to theirs and sometimes they would get together for breaks and lunches. She was so excited because she had just found out that she received a promotion and wanted to celebrate. Jade invited them to The Leaky Cauldron for drinks.

"Congratulations Jade! You deserve it. We're almost done here, so we'll meet up with your crew in a few minutes," Anna said.

"That's brilliant, Jade! You're going to do an amazing job," Hermione said as she gave Jade a hug.

"Aw, thanks ladies. Well, I better go before everyone starts celebrating without me," Jade replied and grinned as she walked out of the office.

"I'm all done, ready Hermione?" Anna asked.

"Sure, let's go!" Hermione said.

The two young women exited the office and headed towards the nearest floo network. They gave their location and arrived at The Leaky Cauldron. It wasn't long before they spotted a tableful of their coworkers. The drinks were flowing and a good time was being had by all.

After about an hour or so, the party began to dissipate. It was a Thursday night and everyone had to work the next day, so it was an early night. Hermione decided to stay and have dinner with Anna. She wasn't looking forward to going back to an empty house since Draco was out on an assignment and wouldn't be back for a few days.

Hermione listened as Anna told her about the new man in her life. His name was Davin Byrne, a wizard from Ireland. He was a barrister handling a large case for the Wizengamot. Anna had met him in the commissary of the Ministry of Magic and they hit it off. They had been dating for a few weeks now and Anna was head over heels. Hermione smiled as her friend gushed about Davin but she also felt somewhat ashamed that she hadn't known about Anna's new romance until now. She was always so busy at work and wrapped up in her life with Draco that she rarely had time for her friends.

"I've never met anyone like him, Hermione!" Anna said.

"I'm impressed that he's managed to keep your interest for this long," Hermione chuckled.

Anna shrugged and smiled. "I can totally see myself spending the rest of my life with this guy. We have so much in common."

"Wow! I'm really happy for you but I have to ask. Doesn't he have to go back to Ireland soon?" Hermione said because she knew that the case he had been working on had been resolved.

"I have thought about that, but he's been asked to stay for a few more weeks to work on something else that's come up. So…I'm crossing my fingers," Anna replied with smile.

Hermione loved seeing Anna being so happy about a guy. Usually she was always picking them apart to figure out what was wrong with them. This Davin must be quite something to change her perspective.

With that, a tall, gangly wizard with a shock of coal-black hair and startlingly blue eyes approached their table. He gave Anna a kiss on the cheek while she gazed at him fondly.

He smiled at Hermione and thrust out his hand. "Let me guess. Hermione?"

Hermione nodded and smiled back. "Yes, and you have to be Davin."

They had dinner together and as Hermione watched he and Anna interact, she realized that her friend may have truly found someone that had captured her heart. When dinner was over, they said their goodbyes and Hermione watched as they walked away together, holding hands.

She sighed as she walked back to the home she shared with Draco. She wondered when was the last time Draco had looked at her like Davin looked at Anna. Something had definitely shifted the night she first told Draco that she loved him. It was very subtle, but Hermione sensed Draco was distancing himself from her.

Draco was on assignment with Blaise in Casablanca, Morocco. They had accomplished their mission of gathering intel on a ring of wizard thieves selling illegal wands to disgraced members of the wizarding community. It was their last night there and they were enjoying dinner at a local restaurant. It was a pleasant surprised when a trio of belly dancers came out and performed for the patrons. The women were gorgeous, all of them with long, wavy dark hair that cascaded down their backs and kohl-rimmed eyes, making them look extremely exotic and mysterious. Blaise could not keep his eyes off their lush curves and sun-kissed skin. He looked over at Draco and smirked when he saw that Draco seemed to be as enthralled by the women as he.

They finished their meal and generously tipped the ladies. One winked at Draco and gave him a flirtatious smile. She was definitely coming on to him. He was taken aback when she put out her hand to him. Draco was mesmerized by her movements and stood up. She began to dance closely to him but never touched him. It was very erotic and as Draco breathed in her perfume, he found himself becoming aroused. He was grateful for the dress robes he wore so no one could see how excited he was. As the dancer finished, she surreptitiously slipped a piece of paper with her room number into his hand. She walked away with the other dancers but not before she gave him a meaningful look.

Draco grinned as he sat down and looked at the paper, but then realization and guilt hit. Hermione. In those few moments, he had forgotten about his girl back home. Blaise smirked and nudged his friend.

"Someone is going to get shagged tonight. You lucky bastard," he said.

Draco shook his head. "She was just flirting, mate. You know nothing is going to happen."

"Are you out of your freaking mind? Get out of here and go get that!" Blaise exclaimed with a look of disbelief. How could Draco pass something up like that?

"You seem to be forgetting that I have someone waiting for me back home," Draco said softly.

Blaise scoffed. "Come on, Draco. Like Hermione will ever find about this. I know I'll never say anything. It's not like you're married."

Draco gave him a rueful smile. "Let it go, Blaise. We need to get back to London. This was fun and all, but I'm ready to leave."

Blaise shook his head as they walked out of the restaurant. "I can't get over you're going to pass this up. What happened to you? The Draco I knew would have shagged all three of those birds by now!"

They went back to their respective rooms and when Draco entered his, he went to the bathroom. He let the water run from the lavatory faucet and splashed it on his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed as he thought about Blaise's words. What did happen to him?

As Blaise entered his room, he chewed the inside of his cheek and thought about his friend. A part of him felt ashamed of himself because he really hoped Draco would cheat on Hermione. Truth be told, he was jealous of their relationship and felt like Hermione had taken his best friend. He wanted things to be like they were before when Draco nailed anything with a skirt.

When they left the glamourous locale the following morning, Draco and Blaise had a quick breakfast and took a portkey back home. Draco arrived at his home and instantly became annoyed. He looked around at all of the traces of Hermione that were now in his home and wanted to get rid of them. She totally invaded his space. Draco slumped down onto a chair in the living room and ran his hands through his hair. What was he thinking when he asked her to move in with him? He had given up a life most wizards only dreamed of. He could have had any woman he wanted but now he felt tethered to Hermione. Did he even love her? A more rational part of him knew that it wasn't Hermione's fault but Blaise's remarks had definitely gotten to him.

 **Winter/Christmas 2016**

The weather was turning colder and the holidays were approaching. Hermione noticed that Draco had started to become even more distant. She gave him his space – figuring that maybe he was working on more difficult cases. Hermione thought about how he was staying later at work and attributed it to a heavier work load, but her woman's intuition was telling her something was off. Draco had started acting this way after the case in Casablanca.

Draco was gradually going back to his old ways. He never technically cheated on Hermione but he had been having quite a flirtation with a new waitress, Tamara, at The Leaky Cauldron. Blaise loved that he was getting his old friend back. He was also glad that Harry Potter was too occupied with a new baby and Ron Weasley was on a different schedule. There would be no tales about Draco's misdeeds being told to Hermione.

Christmas was only a few days away and Hermione was looking forward to spending the holiday with Draco. Imagine her disappointment when he had to go on assignment to Portugal and did not know if he'd make it back for Christmas. When Hermione found out about this, she just sighed and decided to spend a few days with her parents and friends. Everyone was really happy to see her, especially Harry and Ginny. Hermione loved playing auntie to their new baby boy, James. This made her happy, but deep down inside her heart ached for Draco.

When Christmas day arrived, Hermione was with her parents. They had just finished opening gifts and were having brunch when there was a knock on the family room window. Hermione's heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Draco's owl and it was bearing a small, beautifully wrapped silver and green package. She let the owl in and fed it a few treats. The owl chirped happily and then flew away. Her parents looked at her expectantly as she turned to face them with the unopened gift.

"Are you going to open that or what?" Mr. Granger asked and chuckled.

"Oh my, just the wrapping is gorgeous. I can only imagine what's inside," gushed Mrs. Granger.

Hermione smiled and carefully unwrapped the gift. There were butterflies in her stomach when she saw that the package was from a very prestigious wizarding jewelry shop. When she saw the black velvet box, a tiny sliver of hope went through her. Could it possibly be that Draco was surprising her with a ring? Maybe she was just imagining things about all those late nights. When she finally opened the box, she managed to hide her disappointment from her parents when she realized that it was a pair of earrings. They were lovely diamond and ruby earrings but not her taste. Hermione always wore understated jewelry preferring plain gold or silver. Her mother gasped when she saw them and speculated that they must have cost a small fortune. Hermione had no doubt that they probably did but she knew deep down that this was just something Draco bought at the last minute. It took all she had not to cry. She didn't want to seem ungrateful but she really thought that Draco knew her better.

On Christmas day, Draco and Blaise were having dinner in a small café in Lisbon. They still had work to do on their assignment but they had received good tips on finding the wizard they were looking for. As they ate and drank, the two men talked jovially and checked out the local women. Draco felt somewhat guilty about Hermione and he wondered what was her reaction to the last-minute gift he sent to her. He and Blaise had gone to the jewelry store before leaving for Portugal.

"You can't be serious, mate," Blaise said as he saw Draco looking over at the rings.

Draco shrugged and gave a small smile. "Just looking for gift ideas."

"You and Hermione haven't even been together for a year. You definitely don't want to give her the wrong idea, even if it's just a casual ring. Just get her some brooch or something," Blaise scoffed.

"You're probably right," Draco said and moved over to the earrings. He picked the first pair he saw and although he knew this was something Hermione would never wear, he didn't want to look like some kind of lovesick chump in front of his friend.

 _One day Draco is going to thank me for this_ , Blaise thought. He truly believed he was keeping his friend from making a huge mistake.

The two men finally resolved their case two days after Christmas. It was late when they returned to London. Draco was about to head home when Blaise stopped him.

"Hey mate, how about we grab a drink before heading back," he asked.

Subconsciously, Draco knew he should have gone home because he was pretty sure Hermione probably had a great dinner planned for him. He pushed this thought to the back of his mind, and clapped Blaise on the back.

"Sure, mate. I wonder if what's-her-name is working?" he said with a smirk.

"That's what I'm talking about," Blaise replied with a sly grin. Once again, he was very happy to be getting his old friend back. Sure, Draco was living with Hermione, but he just could not imagine Draco actually settling down. He needed to bring his friend back to earth.

In the meantime, Hermione was putting the finishing touches on the dinner she prepared for Draco. As always, she had prepared his favorites: a roast with vegetables and brownies. When she was done, she took a quick shower because she knew Draco would be arriving soon. She changed into a t-shirt and track pants, but underneath she had on a new bra and panty set. It had been a few weeks since they had made love, so she wanted to make sure this night would be extra special.

After three hours of waiting and no Draco, Hermione decided to put away the food and call it a night. She told herself that maybe he got caught up at work or something came up that he needed to take care of. She hated that sinking feeling in her stomach. Against her better judgment because she did not want to seem like some kind of nagging shrew, she decided to contact Harry. He would be able to tell her if Draco had gotten delayed. She called up Harry's floo and saw him in his living room.

"Hey Hermione! Everything okay?" he asked, surprised to be hearing from her at the late hour.

"Everything is fine, Harry. I'm sorry to bother you at this hour especially with a new baby," Hermione said.

"No, no, you're good. What do you need?" Harry asked.

"Did Draco make it back tonight? I had checked his schedule earlier and it was showing that he should have returned a few hours ago," she replied.

Harry conjured up a logbook and looked over it. "Draco and Blaise did make it back a few hours ago. This is showing that they signed back in and turned in their paperwork."

"Oh okay, thanks. Maybe he decided to have a drink with boys, I suppose," Hermione said in a cheery voice, but Harry could see that she was troubled.

"I'm sure that's where he is. Sometimes blokes like to unwind after a long assignment. I'm sure he'll be back soon," Harry said as he attempted to comfort his friend. This bothered him because he had been hearing some gossip in the office about Blaise and Draco carrying on at The Leaky Cauldron. There were also rumors of a hot new waitress catching Draco's eye. Harry hoped it was all rumors because Hermione did not deserve this. Part of him wanted to tell Hermione, but as he said before, he was not sure if the rumors were true or not. He would hate to be caught in the middle. He had misgivings about Hermione getting together with the former Slytherin, but his friend seemed so happy. He hoped Draco did not prove him to be right.

"Well, goodnight Harry. Again, I apologize for bothering you with this," Hermione answered and was gone before Harry could reply.

Harry looked on with regret because Hermione looked like she was about to cry. Maybe she had been hearing the rumors too.

Hermione changed into her favorite flannel nightgown and granny panties. She tossed the new lingerie in the laundry basket. She grimaced as she thought, "So much for that."

Before falling into a troubled sleep, she saw that it was 10:15 p.m. and Draco still was not back.

The following morning, Hermione was about to leave for work when Draco arrived. She had no expression on her face as he walked in and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Had a bit of a rough night with the boys! I didn't want to disturb by getting in too late, so I slept over at Blaise's," he said and waited for her reaction.

Hermione grabbed her briefcase and other belongings and shrugged. "Whatever. There's leftovers in the refrigerator if you're hungry. By the way, thanks for the earrings." With that said, she walked out and never looked back.

Draco knew she was peeved and part of him wanted to run after her, but he could just imagine how Blaise would rag him about giving in to Hermione. He was allowed nights out with his friends. She needed to understand that. He conveniently left out the part of flirting with the waitress, Marilyn, but it was only flirting. He wasn't doing anything wrong.

As he walked through the living room to get to the bedroom, he noticed a wrapped gift on the coffee table in front of the couch. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the gift tag and realized that it was for him. He sighed and sat heavily on the couch. He stared at the gift for a long moment before opening it. When he finally opened it, he was touched and started to feel like an arsehole.

Hermione had given him a rare book on potions that he had been searching for to add to his collection. He had always had an interest in potions since Hogwarts. Draco had only mentioned that he was searching for this book in passing; he couldn't believe she remembered. She had also given him a subscription to a quidditch magazine and a tin of his favorite sweets. This was such a thoughtful gift and he winced when he thought about the earrings he had given her.

A part of him wondered why he let Blaise influence him so much but then he thought about if being in a committed relationship was for him. He wasn't ready to let go of being a bachelor just yet. Draco saw the way Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny and their new baby. He knew deep down that this is what Hermione wanted for them.

When Hermione returned that evening, she was completely taken by surprise. Draco had ordered takeout from their favorite muggle Chinese restaurant and had set the table. Hermione wanted to pick a fight about him being out all night, but she decided not to this time. She didn't want to mess this evening up. Draco thanked her for the gift and told her how much he loved it. She in turn thanked him again for the earrings.

"They are really lovely, but you spent so much more than I did," Hermione said.

"Don't even think about that. I know they'll look beautiful on you," Draco replied. "Come on, I'm famished!"

They enjoyed their dinner and discussed different topics. Draco told her about the last case they worked on and Hermione talked about Anna's new relationship. When they were done, they cleared the table together.

"Thank you, that was great. I think I'm going to take a shower," Hermione said.

Draco watched her walk into the bathroom. Once the door shut, he began stripping off his clothes. After a few minutes, he walked into the bathroom and saw that Hermione was already in the shower. She was standing under the shower head, eyes closed, and letting the warm water flow down. Draco stared at her for a few moments, taking in how truly gorgeous she was. He stepped into the shower and lightly grasped her hips with both hands, pulling her to him. Hermione gasped in surprise but quickly recovered. He kissed her tenderly and closed his eyes when she responded eagerly. His lips moved down, captured one of her breasts, and sucked on the erect nipple. Hermione groaned in delight. Draco moved back to kiss her passionately and he couldn't wait any longer. He backed Hermione against the wall and supported her legs with his arms as he entered her with a swift thrust. She cried out his name and held onto him as he fucked her with pent-up frenzy perhaps in an effort to make up for the last few weeks. He came quickly and she felt the hot spurts of his seed shoot up inside of her.

Once they came down from this hot bout of sex, they finished their shower and headed to bed.

 **New Year's Eve 2016**

Everything seemed somewhat back to normal in the last few weeks. Draco and Hermione made plans to have a quiet dinner and ring in the new year at home. They both had the day off from work, so they spent the day together. They had just sat down for dinner when a face popped up in the fireplace. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw that it was Blaise. She cringed when he started shouting.

"I can't believe you're at home! It's New Year's Eve! Get your arses down to The Leaky Cauldron now!"

Draco put down his fork and smirked at Blaise. "Calm down, mate. Let us enjoy our dinner in peace."

"Pfft, whatever. If you two decide to join the world of the living, you know where I'll be!" Blaise shouted. When he finished speaking, his face disappeared.

"Looks like someone has already brought in the new year. I could practically smell the Firewhiskey from here," Hermione chuckled.

"Yeah, Blaise is enjoying his evening." Draco said quietly. He took a few bites of his salad and smiled at Hermione. "This salad is really good. I like the walnuts."

Hermione stared at him for a few moments and then put her fork down. She sighed and gave a small smile. "Do you want to go to the Leaky Cauldron? I suppose everyone will be there."

Draco gave her a look of joy. "Really? I just thought we'd ring in the new year here, but if you want to, we can."

Hermione gave him a small shrug. "Sure, why not. I'll just need a few minutes to change." She really didn't want to go, but she could tell that Draco really wanted to go out. Hermione figured that they would probably stay until midnight then come home.

"Great. I'll clear this up while you change," Draco replied as he did a bit of wandless magic to clear the table.

Hermione went over to the bedroom and began to survey her closet. She had gone shopping with Anna a few days ago and her friend had convinced her to buy a little black dress. Hermione took it out of the closet and decided that it would be perfect for this evening. It was a simple sheath dress with flowers embroidered on the sides. When she put it on, the dress clung to her curves and was very flattering. She paired this with a pair of black heels and left her hair down. After dressing, she went into the bathroom to check her hair and add a bit of lipstick and mascara. Satisfied with how she looked, she went back to meet Draco. Hermione perked up a bit when she remembered Anna mentioning that she and Davin would be ringing in the new year at the Leaky Cauldron. That wouldn't be so bad, she thought.

Draco's breath caught when Hermione came back to meet him. For a split second, he thought about staying home and making love to his gorgeous girlfriend, but the Leaky Cauldron and Blaise won. He took Hermione's hand as he led her to the floo network.

"You look beautiful," he said and kissed her softly.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself," Hermione replied as she tenderly touched his cheek.

They smiled at each other as they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. When they arrived, the place was packed. It took a few moments, but Blaise spotted them and led them to the bar. He offered drinks to Draco and Hermione. Hermione shook her head, but Draco took him up on his offer. It wasn't long before they began to laugh and joke with the rest of their friends that were there. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable since it was all men in Blaise's group and some of them were eyeballing her a little too much. Draco didn't seem to notice. He seemed to be trying to catch up on the drinking with Blaise. Hermione decided that she needed to powder her nose. She had to yell over the music of the band that was playing to let Draco know where she was going. He didn't seem to take much notice and just told her to have fun. At this point, Hermione did roll her eyes as she walked away. This was turning out to be quite some evening. When she was done in the ladies' room, she was relieved to see Anna and Davin. Anna led Davin by the hand as they pushed though the sea of bodies to get to Hermione.

"Am I glad to see you!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Same here! We're trying to make our way to the bar because there are no tables," Anna shouted over the music.

"I'll lead the way. Hello Davin," Hermione shouted.

"Good to see you again, Hermione," Davin shouted back.

They were able to find some open space at the bar. Hermione was glad to have someone to talk to because Draco seemed to have forgotten that she was there. She decided to let it go and leave it as him spending time with his mates. She was sure he would come to find her when it was almost midnight. After some time, the band began playing a slow song. Davin led Anna to the dance floor. Hermione watched with a smile and was glad that her friend found someone. She looked around but didn't see Draco at the bar. She figured he probably had gone to the men's room. She nabbed an empty bar stool and watched the dancers. She was taken aback when she thought she saw a flash of white hair on the dance floor. As one couple moved out of the way, she realized that Draco was dancing with someone. Upon closer inspection, she realized that Draco's dance partner was one of the Leaky Cauldron waitresses. She watched as the waitress, dressed in a cleavage bearing blouse and micromini, had her arms wrapped around Draco's neck. The brassy haired young woman threw her head back as she laughed at something Draco said. Hermione then watched in shocked disbelief as Draco kissed her. Just as she was jumping off the barstool to confront them, she was interrupted by Anna shouting.

"What? You waited until now to tell me this?" Anna screamed at Davin and slapped him. The band had stopped playing so everyone could hear her. Davin gave her a sheepish look and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I really am. I'll leave now," Davin said softly and walked out of the Leaky Cauldron.

Everyone was staring at Anna as tears ran down her cheeks. Hermione went to her friend and led her to the ladies' room. When they entered the room, Anna threw her handbag against the wall and sobbed.

"How could I have been so stupid!" she said through her tears.

Hermione took her friend's hand. "What happened out there?" she asked.

"He told me he's going back to Ireland and to his wife," Anna cried.

Hermione was shocked. "I didn't know he was married!"

"Neither did I!" Anna replied and sobbed loudly. Hermione hugged her friend and for the moment forgot about Draco and the waitress. What a night this was turning out to be. Hermione let Anna sob and did her best to comfort her friend. When Anna stopped, Hermione helped her fix her makeup with a quick spell and decided that she needed to get her friend home. She grimaced as she thought about having to tell Draco that she was leaving.

Anna waited for her near the exit as Hermione found Draco at the bar with Blaise and their other mates. Draco didn't have his new "friend" near him but then Hermione saw that she was back at work serving customers. Taking a deep breath, she tapped Draco on the shoulder. He turned and gave her a goofy smile. It was obvious he had quite a bit of Firewhiskey.

"Hermione, love! I was wondering where you'd gone off too," Draco slurred as Blaise and the others guffawed. He attempted to pull her to him but she pushed him away. Hermione couldn't believe how disgusting he was at that moment.

"Aw, c'mon love, gimme a kiss, it's almost the new year," he slurred again.

Hermione fixed him with a stony glare. "Seems like you've already had your kiss tonight," she replied.

"I don't know whatcha talkin' about," Draco said and his friends laughed again.

"Look, I need to get Anna home. She's just not in a good place at the moment and she needs me," Hermione said and turned to go, not caring if he understood or not.

"Wait one damn minute, woman! You came here with me and you're leaving with me. That bint tries to ruin everything. Lemme guess, another man has left her. Smart bloke," Draco said and laughed.

"Let's drink to that!" exclaimed Blaise.

Hermione shook her head, appalled at how rude they were being. She walked away and met her friend. They took the floo network to Anna's flat. She stayed for a few hours with Anna until her friend fell asleep. This was certainly an evening of unpleasant revelations. Hermione was exhausted and felt like sleeping on Anna's couch, but knew she had to return to the flat she shared with Draco. She went to Anna's floo and called out her destination.

When Hermione arrived at the flat and was in the living room. She looked around the dark room and switched on a lamp. She was a bit startled when she saw that Draco was sitting in a chair near the couch. She quickly recovered and spoke.

"I'm shocked that you're here. I thought you would've stayed at Blaise's," she said quietly.

"No, I figured I'd wait for you. We need to talk," Draco replied. He had taken a hangover remedy and his head was clear, but he still felt uncomfortable. Everything between him and Hermione was going to be out in the open.

"I agree," Hermione replied. She didn't sit and waited for Draco to speak.

"I'm sorry but this just isn't working out. I think you need to move out," he said.

"Here we go," Hermione said under her breath. She knew it was going to come to this after this evening's events but it still hit her like a ton of bricks. She had so many emotions hitting her all at once. She wanted to lash out at Draco, she wanted to leave in a rage, she wanted to beg him to reconsider but to no avail. Fighting back tears, she nodded and asked, "I know why I'm leaving, but what did it for you? Was it the drastic change in your lifestyle? Was it that hard to be committed to one person? Were you afraid someone better would come along and you were stuck with me?"

Draco sighed. "Why can't you see this for what it is?"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, her voice raised.

"What it is, nothing more and nothing less," Draco said, his voice also raised.

"Oh, two people committed to shagging until they get sick of each other? That's really great, really special," Hermione said sarcastically.

"Look! I don't want marriage and I don't want kids. You don't think I've seen the way you look at Potter and Ginny? I don't want to be tied down! I'm not happy, Hermione," Draco exclaimed and then in a shaky voice said, "I don't love you."

Hermione stared at him for a moment and then the tears pooled up in her eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, she shook her head at him. "Fine, I'm gone. It's done and you can go back to doing whatever you want to do with whoever you want to do it with and whatever orifice you want to put it in!" She knew that it was a bit immature of her to say that, but she was angry and hurt. She turned to leave but he started to speak again.

"Hey, you leave here knowing one thing! I never slept around on you, not once!" Draco exclaimed.

Hermione looked at him with a sad smile and replied "Let's just give the boy a medal! Forgive me, I didn't realize it was such a sacrifice!" With that, she left the room and went to grab a few things. She figured she would crash at Anna's until she would figure something out.

As she gathered her belongings, Draco stood at the door and watched. He couldn't believe he had finally broken it off. Hermione brushed by him and said, "I'll arrange to get the rest of my things when you're at work." With those last words, she went over to the floo and left for Anna's flat.

 **Spring 2017**

The first few weeks of being single again were exciting for Draco. Blaise was ecstatic to get his drinking buddy back and they could go back to chasing skirts. Draco ended up with Tamara at the Leaky Cauldron. About two weeks after breaking up with Hermione, he left with Tamara after her shift ended and they went to her flat. As soon as they entered, they began to make out and stripping of their clothes. Tamara gave Draco a sultry smile and beckoned him with her finger to follow her to the bedroom. Clad only in their underwear, they fell onto the bed and Tamara spread her legs to allow Draco easier access.

"Finally," she thought to herself. Draco Malfoy was now hers. He finally rid himself of that Granger bint.

Draco finally had the freedom he wanted but was finding that it wasn't all that he thought it would be. As he kissed Tamara, he found that he couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. What the hell was wrong with him? When he felt her pulling at his boxers, he stopped her.

Tamara stared at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Draco pulled away and stepped off of the bed. "I can't do this."

"Why the hell not?" Tamara snapped. "We've been waiting to do this for months and now that you're free, you can't do it?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me," Draco replied. He started to walk out of the room when Tamara screamed at him.

"Just get out! You arsehole! You still aren't over that Granger bint. I should've known!"

Draco didn't say anything and grabbed his clothes. He dressed quickly and apparated back to his flat. As soon as he arrived, he collapsed on his sofa and rubbed his hands over his face. What the hell was wrong with him? Before Hermione, he would've shagged Tamara six ways from Sunday and gone on his merry way.

He noticed a change in him when he had returned from work one day and saw that Hermione had moved all of her things out. He thought that he would have been elated but was taken aback when he realized he felt a pang of sadness and disappointment. This was entirely new to him and he figured it would have gone away in time but it hit him that he missed Hermione. He was beginning to see that he didn't like coming back to an empty flat.

In the meantime, Hermione was adjusting back to single life. She moved back in with Anna and they swore off men for the moment. The young women supported each other and slowly slipped back into the routine they had before Hermione had moved in with Draco. Hermione threw herself into her work and made sure to avoid seeing Draco. Anna slowly got over Davin's betrayal and started dating a wizard named Ben. Ben worked in the Department of Mysteries and was definitely single. Hermione was glad to see that Anna was happier. Ben offered to set Hermione up with one of his friends, but she politely declined. She had been badly burned by Draco Malfoy.

In late March, her assistant brought her a bouquet of flowers. Hermione gave her a questioning look and asked, "Are those for me?" Her assistant nodded.

"They arrived this morning and your name was on the card."

Hermione looked at the card and sure enough there was her name. She opened the envelope and her eyes narrowed when she saw who the flowers were from. Draco. "Of all the nerve," she thought.

She shook her head as she read the card. It stated "Just wanted to know how you were doing. Don't be a stranger. Maybe we can have lunch one day. – Draco"

What the hell was wrong with him? Did he have a brain fart or something? Hermione did an incendiary charm which took care of the flowers and the card. Fuck him. He wanted his freedom.

Hermione couldn't believe it when the flowers began to arrive every week. At first, she and Anna laughed about it, but now it was getting annoying. Hermione did not respond and she heard from Harry and Ron how frustrated Draco was getting because she was ignoring him. He had tried coming to her office but her assistant was well instructed to tell him Hermione was out or in a meeting.

This all came to a head one evening in May at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione had vowed not to set foot in the place again but decided that was silly. She and Anna were there with coworkers to celebrate a birthday. She and Anna were enjoying an appetizer and drinks when Hermione noticed a worried look flash across her friend's face.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Don't look now, but Draco just walked in and he's coming straight for our table," Anna replied.

"Nope, not doing this. I'm leaving," Hermione said and stood up. Just as she turned to leave, she came face to face with Draco.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, looking angry, hurt, and desperate.

"Just stay away from me," Hermione growled and started to walk out. Draco tried to grab her arm, but she pulled it away.

He followed her out of the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione whipped around and faced him.

"What is wrong with you? I told you to leave me alone!" she spat.

"Can't we just talk? I made a mistake. I want what we had again," Draco pleaded.

"What did we have, Draco? Great sex? We had nothing," Hermione scoffed and turned to leave.

"I love you, Hermione!" Draco shouted and didn't care who heard.

Hermione stopped and stared at him for a few moments. "We were together for almost a year and you could barely bring yourself to say it. You don't know what love is, Draco. You've always gotten everything you've ever wanted and now you can't have me and you don't know how to handle it. Get over it, I did."

"Please, Hermione. Let's talk it over. I admit it, I screwed up," Draco said.

"Draco, it took me some time to get over what you did and I'm still working on it. Just let it go and get on with your life," Hermione said and this time she quickly walked away so he wouldn't see the tears falling from her eyes. Damn him!

Draco watched her walk away and couldn't believe what just happened. He knew he had screwed up royally. How could he have been so stupid and listened to Blaise? He lost the love of his life.

Hermione made it back to the flat and as soon as she entered it, she collapsed on the floor. She began to sob and part of her wanted to go to Draco, but she knew she had to be strong. She couldn't handle getting back together with him and he would just revert to his old ways. Anna came in a few minutes later and brewed a pot of tea for them. She comforted Hermione and they talked for a few hours before retiring for the evening.

When June arrived, Hermione's boss announced that there was a temporary 6-month assignment in Nova Scotia. Making a spur of the moment decision, Hermione put in a bid for it. She was pleasantly surprised when she was picked. Maybe a change of scenery was what she needed. Anna agreed with her and was glad to see that Hermione seemed to be getting over Draco. 

When Hermione first arrived at the Ministry in Nova Scotia, she was nervous but it wasn't long before she started to feel comfortable. Everyone was very accommodating and she enjoyed the fast pace of the assignment. It wasn't long before the wizards there found out that she was single. She allowed herself to go on a few dates, but it was just for fun and socializing. Most of the wizards sensed that she wasn't looking for a relationship.

Before she knew it, the assignment was over and she was heading back to London. When she arrived home, Hermione realized how much she missed everyone. She had come back a few days before Christmas, so she spent that time with her parents and Harry and his family. Before she knew it, the year was almost over.

 **New Year's Eve 2017**

After much hemming and hawing, Anna and Hermione decided to ring in the new year at the Leaky Cauldron of all places. Anna was still seeing Ben and he and his friends were going to be there. Hermione was going to meet Harry, Ginny, and Ron.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror before going out. She was wearing a red sleeveless embroidered sheath dress she had bought in Nova Scotia. Hermione had paired the dress with a pair of red heels she had borrowed from Anna. She had to admit that she didn't look half bad.

She couldn't believe that it was going to be a year since the breakup with Draco. Hermione had done a lot of soul-searching in this time and had come to the realization that she would always have a place in her heart for him. She didn't know if she would ever fall for someone like she did for him. Taking a deep breath, Hermione left the bedroom and joined Anna. They took the floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

When they arrived, the party was in full swing. Anna met up with Ben and Hermione grabbed a seat at the table Harry was able to snag. It wasn't long before the drinks were flowing. Hermione danced with a few of her coworkers and some of Ben's friends. After all of this dancing, she was thirsty. She went to the bar and asked for a club soda. As she reached into her purse to pay, the bartender shook his head.

"It's been taken care of by the gent at the end of the bar," he said and pointed.

Hermione gave him a surprised smile and looked in the direction he pointed. She felt her heart drop when Draco raised his glass and smiled. She wasn't sure what to do but then decided that she would walk over and thank him.

Draco watched her walk over and he could feel his heart beating faster. He was so relieved when she smiled and thanked him for paying for her drink.

"I was glad to do it. How are you?" he asked. He thought that she looked stunning in that red dress.

"I'm doing well. And you?" Hermione asked as she looked him over. It should be a law that a man should not look that good as she took in his fitted white shirt and black pants.

"I've been okay. I heard that you were on assignment in Nova Scotia," he replied and this started a conversation as Hermione told him about it. He loved that they were at ease with each other and actually talking.

When Hermione was done, Draco said, "I'm truly sorry for what happened between us. I really screwed up."

Hermione gave a small shrug. "I'm sorry too for what I said the last time we met. I was still really hurt."

"No, I deserved that and more. I wish I could make it up to you. I still miss you," Draco said and held his breath as Hermione stared at him.

After a few moments, Hermione admitted that she missed him too.

"Do you think there's a chance that we could start over?" Draco asked and looked into her eyes.

At that moment, Hermione felt like they were the only two people in the room. Deciding to take a leap of faith, she nodded slowly and said, "Yes."

Draco gave her a genuine smile and held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy and I'm glad to meet you."

Hermione stifled a giggle and introduced herself. They spent the rest of the evening together and when the New Year arrived, Draco gave her a quick peck on the lips. He had decided that they were going to take things slowly and get to know each other all over again.

As Hermione listened to the strains of _Auld Lang Syne_ , she held onto Draco's hand and watched happily as everyone rang in the New Year. She knew she was taking a chance but something told her things were going to be really different. It was good to know that Draco Malfoy actually had a heart. 


End file.
